I Stand
by TryDefyingGravity
Summary: I stand for the power to change. I live for the perfect day.
1. I Stand

Disclaimer: I'm not that girl

A/N: Okay, I know I'm working on _Unlimited _and _Seasons of Love,_ but this should be pretty straightforward, I have it planned out and updates on this _shouldn't _put back _SOL_ time. I say _shouldn't_ because you know me xP I'm not great at regular updates. Feedback is appreciated.

Summary: I stand for the power to change. I live for the perfect day.

I Stand

_And I don't know  
What tomorrow brings  
The road less traveled  
Will it set us free?  
Cause we are taking it slow,  
These tiny legacies.  
I don't try and change the world;  
But what will you make of me?_

**-Idina Menzel, I Stand**

Chapter 1: I Stand

"_Fiyero."_

She screamed his name, hoping, praying that this was all a dream and Fiyero was still with her; that he hadn't gone with Elphie, that he hadn't tried to rescue her and failed. _No, no, no. This can't be happening._ Elphaba had taken him from her. And because of this, Fiyero was dead.

She had watched the guards carry him away and felt her heart shatter. For Nessarose, for Fiyero, for Elphaba; for everything that the girl, Galinda, had lost. She still felt like a young girl inside, striving to be popular, striving to be loved. Yet she was lost in the 'real world' where everything that she had once believed in was a lie.

She was kneeling, staring at the floor. The guards had returned and were staring at _her_. She plastered a smile on her face and stood. Her eyes flicked to the side nervously; there were more guards watching her there. She took a deep breath and forced Galinda the girl away. She was Glinda the Good now. "I'm fine, gentlemen. Did you deal with… him?" When the guards nodded, she inclined her head to each in turn. "You are dismissed; I will inform the Wizard of this myself."

_You bet I will. And I will change this. Somehow._

The guards bowed to her and turned back to go to the Emerald City. She returned to her bubble and climbed in. She looked down at her hands. _That's the last time I'll ever touch Fiyero._ She started. There was blood on her hands. Confused, she turned them over and moved her fingers carefully. Nothing broken. And then her eyes caught it, a small scratch on the palm of her hand. Glinda ran her fingers over the scratch. Elphaba had done that. Elphie, _her_ Elphie, had hurt her. Angrily, she wiped the tears that were coming to her eyes and pressed her thumb over the scratch, stopping the bleeding. She returned to the Emerald City like that, holding what could have been her final memory of Elphaba close to her. Could she forgive Elphaba?

_Yes_.

When she arrived back at the palace, she made her way straight to her room avoiding and ignoring everyone who went past. Once there, she pulled off her crown and jewelry, flinging it onto the bed. She washed her face and immediately she looked tired, more worn. She raised a mirror to eye level and stared at herself. "Ugh, that's not a nice sight." At least in her own room she could be herself. There was no need to pretend that she was happy in here. It was better, she supposed; no one can keep up pretence of happiness forever.

She changed into a simple green frock and covered her head with a scarf. She left her room, carefully locking the door and made her way down to the kitchen. Once there, she slipped inside, ensuring that the maids and the cook weren't there. They would be serving the evening meal at this time, which meant that the kitchen would be deserted. She knelt beside the fire, warming her hands, and she inspected the scratch on her hand. Elphaba had left her mark.

She'd spent many nights as a child seated by the fire in the kitchen with her mother singing to her. They never cooked in the kitchen, no, but they trusted their servants and were close friends with them, so evenings were often spent with the staff, rather than the public. Sitting here now, alone, only brought a sense of loss, rather than the delight she had once associated with staying by the fire. It reminded her of the life she no longer had: safety and security, happiness, someone who loved her. This attempt to cheer herself up wasn't working.

She stood and turned to leave the room. With a start, she saw the cook entering the kitchen. Glinda lowered her eyes. _Please don't recognize me. Please don't call me-_

"Lady Glinda?"

_Damn._

"Yes?"

The cook dropped a curtsy to her. "Is everything okay, my lady? I can bring your meal to your room; you don't need to stay down here with us. I can have it with you within fifteen minutes…" She trailed off. Glinda gave her a cold stare – unusual for the normally smiling blonde – and left the kitchen. The cook watched her leave with a bewildered air. Lady Glinda was normally polite and would often stop to talk to the servants, to tell them they were doing a good job or just to make sure that everything was all right. There was no doubt about it; there was something wrong with Lady Glinda.

Glinda had returned to her room by this time. She changed yet again into her nightclothes and carefully tidied away the two dresses. Normally a maid would do this, but Glinda was not in the mood to be fussed over. Another look in the mirror. Glinda paused and looked at her reflection. She had grown up. It was no longer naïve Galinda, who didn't know if someone was lying or not, but Glinda, the adult. The woman who knew that most of Oz was built on deception and lies.

That needed to be changed. Maybe Glinda was the one who could change it. She didn't really want to change the world; that wasn't who she was, but if that was what was needed, she would do it.

Elphaba would want her to do this. Elphaba _did _want her to do this. Elphaba made Glinda who she was, and it was that revelation that made Glinda decide that she would change Oz, not just for good, but for the better.

_I stand for the power to change._


	2. Better To Have Loved

Disclaimer: I'm not that girl.

A/N: Thanks to my beta, **Meltalviel**

Chapter 2: Better To Have Loved

_Better to have loved than never loved at all  
Better to have dreamed than never taken the fall  
Better to have held you and let you in  
Than never to have touched your skin  
Better to have hurt and screamed and cried_

_**Idina Menzel, Better To Have Loved**_

Glinda was watching the Witch Hunters prepare to set out to Kiamo Ko, to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Madame Morrible was standing beside her, sending the country's best wishes out with them. As usual, Glinda forced a smile. The Hunters were a rabble of people from nearby villages, armed with pitchforks and burning torches, led by Dorothy and her fellow travelers. They wouldn't go the whole way with the young girl and her companions, but would guide her to the Vinkus safely. Glinda needed to find a way to stop this; Elphaba would die if she didn't.

"Madame Morrible, it didn't happen like that. It's not true."

Morrible ignored the blonde, smiling and waving as the crowd of Hunters grew in size. Soon there were nearly five hundred people marching to kill Glinda's closest friend.

"Madame, we need to stop this, this has gone too far!" Glinda all but shouted at her old headmistress, not caring about being secretive or quiet now. No one in the crowd noticed, however.

"I'm sure Elphaba can take care of herself." Morrible was still watching the crowd grow, a grin of pleasure on her face.

"Madame, something's been troubling me… about Nessarose and that cyclone." Glinda finally voiced what she had feared since the loss of Fiyero. Glinda felt guilty about Nessa's death, knowing that what _she_ had said in the throne room had caused it.

"Perhaps it was just her time."

Glinda snapped. "Was it? Or did _you_-"

Morrible grabbed her arm and held it tightly, almost pinching the blonde's skin. Glinda tried to pull from her grip but to no avail. "Now you listen to me, missy. The rest of Oz may have fallen for that _aren't I good_ routine but I know better. You wanted this from the beginning and now you're getting what you wanted, so just smile and wave and _shut up_." She turned to face the crowd, dropping Glinda's arm. "Good fortune, good fortune, Witch Hunters!"

Glinda stared at her, tears once again rushing to her eyes. She slowly raised her hand to wave but refused to smile. Morrible glared at her but said nothing.

As soon as the Hunters had marched away, Glinda excused herself and ran back to her room. She flung herself on her bed like a child deprived of her favorite doll. But this time it was much more serious and, like the child, there was nothing she could change this time.

A knock at the door startled Glinda from her reverie, making her focus on the here and now. "Just… just a moment." Glinda cried, hastily straightening her crown and smoothing her dress down. "Enter," she called, trying to stop her voice from shaking.

It was the Wizard. Instantly, the Glinda the Good that Oz knew shattered and everything that Glinda the Person felt came into the open as she snapped at him. "What do you want?" She stepped away from him, pulling her skirt above her ankles as if to avoid touching him at all.

"I just came to say that I'm sorry about all of this. And, you know, you could rescue her…"

Glinda faltered. "_What?_ You just sent a little girl and a crowd of lunatics to kill my best friend and now you're telling me to rescue her. What is wrong with you? There is nothing I can do now; there isn't a way to rescue her."

The Wizard sighed. "That was a lapse of attention, asking the girl to kill Elphaba but-"

"Don't you dare say her name!" Glinda's eyes flashed with anger. _You don't deserve to even think her name. _"What do you want me to do? If you can think of a way to rescue her, I will, but there is _no _way."

The Wizard looked down at his hands. Glinda was right. "Well… would you like to say goodbye to her? And tell her that if she surrenders, we'll forgive her and she can come back to Oz without fear. I can cover for you here, if you'd like."

Confused, Glinda stared at the Wizard. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because, believe it or not, Elphaba – the Witch is important to me. Something about her reminds me of… never mind. But it's better to have the Witch return safely to me than her dying, is it not?"

Glinda nodded. "But I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it so I can tell her… tell her that she is forgiven."

The Wizard smiled. "Then go." He held the door open for her, and Glinda ran out to her bubble. She climbed in nervously. _What will Elphaba do?_ The bubble rose, and she floated away from the palace. _Elphie. Wait for me, I am coming to you. _

Glinda remembered that first glimpse of Elphaba in Shiz.

"_Ugh, who's that? Is she an elf or something?"_

_Pfannee giggled and nudged Shenshen who pulled a face at Elphaba. The green girl ignored her and went to her sister, kneeling beside her and talking. It was obvious that these two must be sisters; after all, who would be friends with a freak? Elphaba heard them laughing, and this time Glinda voiced her comment. Ready to argue, Elphaba whirled around to face the blonde, but when Pfannee and Shenshen stepped up behind Galinda, Elphaba backed down. She returned to her sister, pointedly talking loudly about the immature girls at this university._

Glinda couldn't help but smile. After such a rough start, who'd have thought that Elphaba and Glinda would have become friends? Memories of Shiz flooded into Glinda's mind, and she carefully sifted through them, each more special than the last.

Elphaba had hurt her, it was true. But Glinda wouldn't have been who she was without her. Glinda knew this.

_Better to have hurt and screamed and cried_.

Thinking back, she realized she knew the difference between her younger years and now. The Wizard had created Glinda the Good, yes. He had formed her into the political princess she was now, but Elphaba... Elphaba had created Glinda the Person. Glinda knew which one she preferred. The Wizard had raised her up, but her relationship with Elphaba had pulled her down. And for the first time, as she arrived at Kiamo Ko, Glinda felt grateful for that.

_Fallen to the earth for a trip to the skies. _


	3. Brave

Disclaimer: Not mine… never will be

Disclaimer: Not mine… never will be.

A/N: I've been working on this for a while… please R and R :) Thanks, as always, to my loverly beta, **Meltalviel. **

_If this is the moment I stand here on my own  
If this is my rit__e of passage that somehow leads me home  
I might be afraid but it's my turn to be brave  
If this is the last chance before we say goodbye  
at least it's the first day of the rest of my life  
I can't be afraid 'cause it's my turn to be brave _

_**- Idina Menzel, Brave**_

"They're just shoes!"

She breathed out heavily; those words were still difficult for her, even after everything she'd learned. Elphaba glared at her, distracted by the sudden entrance.

"What do you want?"

"They're coming for you."

Glinda went quiet, watching her closest friend pace the room. "I can't bear to lose you again. You can have Fiyero; I don't want or love him anymore. Just give yourself up and you can be free."

"I've lost everything, Glinda. Why shouldn't I lose my life as well?" That was spiteful and Elphaba knew it. She relented. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

An awkward silence filled the room. Elphaba looked away from her friend, closing her eyes. "Glinda." She stopped. "It's over, Glinda. You have to let me go. If you do that, you can live on for both of us. If you are found here they will only turn against you."

Glinda stared at Elphaba, willing the courageous Elphie from the old days to step forward.

"There you are, Chistery."

Elphaba took the proffered note from Chistery's hand and read it slowly. She gasped; catching the words she so wanted to say on her tongue. Instead, she forced the lie in answer to Glinda's questioning glance.

"You will never see Fiyero again."

_Which, in itself is true. Just not in the way I'm implying it._

She gestured to Chistery who brought the Grimmerie to the Witch with tears in his eyes. She placed a hand on his shoulder and their eyes locked. A silent message passed between them and Chistery nodded. He touched Elphaba's hand and wandered off mournfully, suspecting the imminent death of his beloved mistress.

"Limited."

Glinda snapped to attention, terrified of what she was about to hear.

"I'm limited. And just look at you… you can do all I couldn't do."

Elphaba gripped Glinda's hand, squeezing it gently, allowing Glinda to understand that Elphaba was going to die by choice.

"Glinda. Now it's up to you. For both of us."

She held the Grimmerie out to her friend, urging her to take it. Glinda did so and held it close to her heart, as memories of the first time she saw the Grimmerie flooded through her.

"Now it's up to you."

Glinda nodded and tears misted her eyes. She forced a smile. "I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason. You came into mine to help me find who I truly am, to help me see that life isn't just fashion and popularity and boys." She hugged the Grimmerie close to her, knowing that this was the last time she would see her best friend. "Well, maybe the last one."

_If this is the last chance before we say goodbye…_

Elphaba held out her arms and welcomed Glinda into a close embrace, holding and soothing the blonde as she cried.

"I'm so scared, Elphie. This time I'll be completely alone. Fiyero's gone. Nessa's gone. Boq's disappeared. And… and I'll never see you again, not if I let you do this. I'm just afraid of what will happen next."

Elphaba pushed Glinda away and looked deeply into her eyes.

"You are Glinda Upland. You've made it this far. Don't be afraid of what you know you can cope with. I'll always be with you, and you'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart.!

Glinda nodded.

"And whatever way my story ends, you've rewritten it by being my only friend. You've changed me for the better."

The blonde was sobbing. "Elphie, I've been changed for good because I knew you. And I know I can do this. I can stay strong for both of us. I'm not afraid anymore."

The moment Glinda said this, a great weight lifted from her heart. She could do this.

Elphaba nodded. "You needn't be. Now, hide."

Glinda did as she was told, and she watched her best friend defend herself to the death. The last heart-wrenching scream ripped through Glinda, and then all went quiet.

"Elphie?"

Glinda stood ungracefully, pulling her skirt away from her feet. She ran towards where she had last heard Elphaba's cry and flung herself to her knees, grabbing the only reminder of her friend that she had. She clutched the black hat to her chest, tears pouring down her cheeks.

_At least it's the first day of the rest of my life…_

She was interrupted only when Chistery edged towards her holding something out. It was the little green bottle she had last seen beneath Elphaba's pillow all those years ago.

"This… I've seen this before."

And in that moment, she knew everything. Elphaba's parenthood, her mother's past, why Elphaba was green. Why she had such powers – she was a child of both worlds.

"The Wizard…"

_I can't be afraid._

She knew what she had to do. She left Kiamo Ko for the last time, never looking back. It was time to the face the Wizard, and the rest of Oz.

_It's my turn to be brave._


End file.
